Illuminated sign with interchangeable sign elements



Dec. 5, 1950 R. TSCHOPP 2,532,651

nwumxrsn sxcu wrm xmzacumcmsm SIGN ELEMENTS Filed Jan. 30, 1945 2Sheets-Sheet 1 v INVENTOR LOgQS T SCH PP @0040, MM; TTORNEY$ Dec. 5,1950 I L. R. TSCHOPP 2,532,651

ILLUHINATED SIGN WITH INTERCHANGEABLE SIGN ELEMENTS 2 sheets-sheet 2Filed Jan. 30, 1945 INVENTOR Lows RTscuoop a ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 5,1950 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE ILLUMINATED SIGN WITH INTERCHANGE- ABLESIGN ELEMENTS Louis B. Tschopp, Buffalo, N. Y.

Application January'30, 1945, Serial No. 575,245

. i 1 Claim.

This invention relates to sign structures and particularly to suchstructures as contemplate an assembly comprising individual shiftableelements forming letters of the alphabet or other symbols.

It has heretofore been proposed to provide sign structures having anumber of letters each including means for its illumination, theindividual letters having electrical connection in one fashion oranother with a common current source. Devices of'this nature have notthus far found general acceptance owing to various inconveniences andundesirabilities inherent in their constructlon.' To be practicallysatisfactory a sign of this nature must be durable and structurallystrong; it must adapt itself readily to mounting either exteriorly orinteriorly; it must provide safe and certain electrical communication;the letters of the sign and the letter receiving means must be so formedand constructed as to facilitate the ready assembly of letters withcomplete selectivity both as to letter arrangement and spacing; and theconstruction must be sufficiently simple to render the production of theseveral elements comprising a finished sign possible at a cost whichwill be within practical limits.

In my prior Patent No. 2,240,917, dated May 6, 1941, I have-set forth asign structure of the general type referred to here wherein individuallyshiftable illuminated sign elements are assembled into a complete signin a novel manner. The present invention comprises improvements in thebasic arrangement disclosed in the patent identifi ed above. The presentarrangement distinguishes over the patented construction chiefly in themanner in which the sign letters are introduced into and retained by thesign support element and by the manner in which electricalcommunicationof the several elements with a power source is broughtabout and maintained.

An exemplary embodiment of the improvements present in the improved signstructure of the present invention is described in detail in thefollowing specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a general fragmentary elevational view of a sign supportingstructure having several letters associated therewith;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the device with a cover elementof the sign support removed for added clearness of illustration;

Fig. 3 is a' cross sectional view on the line III-III of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the electricalcontact elements;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken on the line VV of Fig2; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view showing electrical contactretaining means.

Reference will now be had to the drawings in which like characters ofreference denote like parts and the numeral It) in Fig. 1 indicates generally a supporting means for individual sign elements consisting ofsymbols or letters designated H in Fig. 1. The supporting means [0comprises a longitudinal element of generally channel cross section. Asappears clearly from Fig. 3, the supportingmeans (0 has an upwardly andinwardly directed flange I2 along its right edge, which is the frontedge of thesign. The left edge of the sign, as viewed in Fig. 3, therear edge of the supporting means, is built up as at 13 to house andsupport electrical contactor elements which form a more or lesspermanent part of the supporting means.

The built up portion l 3 is provided with a series of alignedcylindrical openings 15 which open toward the central part of base I 0and each opening has a pair of opposite longitudinal grooves l6 formedtherein for a purpose which will presently appear. Each of the openings15 receives a cylindrical' contact holder I8 which has oppositelyextending ears I9 at its base. The ears l9 fit in grooves 16 and thusprevent rotation of holders [8. The portion 13 of base In islongitudinally slotted as at 20 to receive a bar 2| of insulatingmaterial. The bar 2| has a series of downward projections 22 whichoccupy substantially the entire spaces between the several cylindricalholders l8 and thus, through cooperation of ears 1-9, prevent removal ofthe holders from their openings.

The holders l 8 are hollow and receive compression coil springs 23 whichnormally yieldably urge them to the position of the two top holders andthe two bottom holders in Fig. 2. The contacts proper are bestillustrated in Fig. 4 where they are designated 25 and comprisereturn-bent metallic body portions having their outer upper and loweredges flared outwardly as shown at 26. Each contact 25 is fixedlysecured to its holder 18 in any desired or convenient manner. In theillustrated instance the contacts 25 are held in bifurcations in theholders l8 by riveting.

It will be noted that the flared outer ends of each contact are adaptedto closely embrace the folded edge of the adjacent contact at one sidethereof, as shown in Fig. 5. Thus, when the contacts are in alignment,or sufliciently so to be in contact, they provide in effect a continuouselectrical conductor. When one of the holders and its contact is pushedsufficiently far out of alignment, as in the case of the middle contactof Fig. 2, the continuity of the conductor is temporarily interrupted atthat point. Electrical connection of the opposite end contacts of aseries may be eifected in any desired and conventional manner. In theillustrated instance. by way of example, such connection may be in thesecondary circuit of a transformer indicated schematically at 28 in Fig.l and also appearing' in Fig. 3. v

The individual sign symbols or characters, together with theirindividual holders and assembling means, will now be described. Eachcharacter is formed by a continuou glass Oi other transparent ortranslucent gas filled tube whose opposite ends 30 are sealed exceptingfor lead-in conductors 3| and contain conventional electrodes (notshown). A holder block 32 of insulating material hassemi-circularrecesses in its upper surface for receiving the ends 30 of the tube anda cover block 33, likewise of insulating material has complementaryrecesses in its lower surface and is screwed to block 32 as at 34 tofirmly clamp and support the gas filled tube. Note that the tube endsextend substantially horizontally while the symbol or character portionsproper extend upwardly therefrom.

The lead-in conductors 8i terminate at ex+ posed faces of the block 82in longitudinally spaced electrical terminal or contact elements 40which may seat against contacts 25 to supply electrical energy to theluminous tube. A medial extension 4| is provided upon block 32 and suchextension may be formed as an integral part of block 32. This extensionserves to isolate the terminals 40 of each block 32 which are disposedat opposite sides thereof.

The front face of block 32 is grooved to receive flange |2 of holder Iand a character or symbol is placed in the holder by disposing theconcave end of extension 4| against whichever contact 25 occurs at thepoint where the character is desired to be located longitudinally. Thecontact and its holder I8 is then moved rearwardly, to the left asviewed in Figs. 2 and 3, until the block 32 may be dropped down flatagainst the relatively flat intermediate portion of support In,whereupon the block 32 may be released and springs 23 will move block 32forwardly until the groove in the front thereof engages over flange I2and the sign character or symbol is thus held is desired assembledposition.

A cover 44 of insulating material is hinged to the rear edge of supportl0 as at 45 to protect the exposed electrical conductors as well as toinsure against inadvertent disassembly of' the assembled sign elements.It will be noted that assembly of the sign character automaticallybreaks the continuity of current flow through the seriesof contacts 25by displacing one of them and. simultaneously re-establishes currentflow through engagement of the two terminals 40 with the contacts ateach side of the one displaced, the new circuit including the electrodesof the neon or other luminous tube, whereby it is automa icallyilluminated when the main control switch of the si n is turned on.

The oroportioning of the parts is such that no nrecautionneed. be takento have the extension 4| horizon ally align d with a s ngle contact 25.If it should happen that the extension 4|, in assembling a letter, d pace t o adjacent contacts 25, the terminals "will still make contactwith two-cont c s 25 lying adjacent the two displaced cont 01:5 25,

whi e spe ific d t i s of construction have been referr dlfn hereinforthe ur ose of exemnlification. it is to be un erst od that mv inventionis in no sense t be considered as lim ted thereby or in anv o her waysave as defined in the appended claim.

A sign element for use in combination with others n a, rel ti e fl t onitudina l chann led holder having horizontallv spacedlongltud'nal:fl-.nges, one formed to intcrntzwith the sign elements andthe other having resilient contact eiementsnormally urged toward'the-oneflange: said sign element comprisinzn generally symbol portion andamounting. portion extending rearwardly fromthe base nrthcsymbolportion, said mountingmcntion-zharinza-Xacc formed-tointeriit'withzsaidone fianec and svaccd 'eleotrical tcrminals at itsopposite face for engagement with spaced contact elementsfor energizingsaid si n elemen and an? insulating :proiection formed onsaicixmountinap rtion betweensaidtenninah to dise g oneof saidcontactelement upon assemblyaof said elementin-the-holder wherebyen- Easementof. saidelectrical terminals with contact elemen s atopposite sides ofthe displaced contact elementestablishes a circuit for said-signelement.

LOUISE. 'IISCHOPP.

REFERENCES CITED,

The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Certificate of Correction I Patent No. 2,532,651 December 5, 1950 LOUISR. TSCHOPP It is hereby certified that error appeqrs in the printedspecification of the above numbered patent requirmg correctlon asfollows:

Column 4, line 30, efter the word generally insert; vertical and thatthe said Letters Patent should be read as corrected above, so that thesame may conform to'jghe record of the case in the Patent Ofiice. Signedand sealedthis 23rd day of J a uary, A. D. 1951.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Commissioner of Patents.

Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,532,651 December 5, 1950 LOUIS R.TSCHOPP It is hereby certified that error appears in the printedspecification of the above numbered patent requiring correction asfollows:

Column 4, line 30, after the word generally insert vertical and that thesaid Let Patent should be read as corrected above, so that the same mayconform tojthe record of the casein the Patent Office. Signed andsealedthis 23rd day of January, A. D. 1951.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Commissioner of Patents.

